My first batch of kimchi was just salty cabbage for 3 weeks

I kept wondering why my kimchi never fermented right. Tasted like nothing but salt even after sitting for 3 weeks in my basement in Cleveland around 68 degrees. Then my buddy pointed out I was packing the jar too tight and trapping no air space for the brine to bubble. Now I leave an inch of headroom and the flavor actually develops after 5 days. Anyone else mess up their first few ferments with jar packing?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliotburns19d ago

My third batch I practically arm-wrestled the cabbage into a mason jar like I was stuffing a suitcase for a weekend trip. Yeah, no wonder it tasted like salty sadness. Literally zero headroom, zero bubbles, just a sad cabbage brick that sat there for two weeks judging me. Now I leave a whole inch gap on top and it actually does the angry fizz thing after 5 days. Who knew fermentation needed breathing room? Definitely not me for three whole attempts.

emma_young19d ago

Did you try burping the jar daily or just leave it sealed tight the whole time?

willow_anderson8515d ago

@elliotburns, I hear you on that sad cabbage brick situation. Packing too tight is the number one killer of good kimchi. The bacteria need that tiny bit of air to start bubbling, and without it you just end up with salty, wet leaves. I ruined my first three jars exactly the same way before I learned to leave a proper inch gap. Now I also make sure to press the cabbage down gently with a clean spoon to release any trapped air pockets before sealing. A little headroom goes a long way toward getting that proper angry fizz going after day five.